Taang Week '13
by roca dos
Summary: A series of unrelated oneshots for Taang Week!
1. Regret

**AN: ATLA and LoK canon compliant. Let me know what you think! =D**

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**Day 1- Regret**

He made her an offer once. One she refused. One that years later she could finally admit she had been far too young and (though she loathed to say it) more than a little afraid to accept. But before she had a chance to change her mind, it was already too late.

Things started innocently enough in the spring. It was her birthday. None of the others were living in Republic City at the time; they had all returned home. But it was okay, Aang and Toph were used to it. He had been her first friend and they remained close ever since she ran away from home to train him. After the war they went their separate ways, but when both ended up in Republic City, it was as though they had never been apart.

The Chief of Police and the Avatar would have had to work together anyway, but since Toph and Aang knew each other so well, they chose to do it even when it wasn't necessary. The easy camaraderie they shared just made their respective jobs all the more fun. That was part of the reason the Avatar took it upon himself to plan the entire evening. The other was that she wouldn't have done anything if he hadn't.

Dinner, dancing, and drinks led to an unexpected kiss on the cheek, a second on the lips, and they were undone. Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps the last few weeks had been leading up to it. It was such a surprise, for both of them. Unexpected did even begin to cover it and though it happened fast, it felt _right_ and neither questioned it.

By summer they were running around the city, making out in dark corners, keeping their romance secret from everyone else. All their responsibilities as the Avatar and Chief Beifong took priority, however, and they continued to work together during the day. But, at night it was different. _They_ were different. He grew more confident, she opened up to him. He showed her how to fly Appa, she taught him to metalbend. And then one night...

"Toph..." He suddenly felt the need to tell her. Despite his insistence, she refused to have the 'exes' talk. "It doesn't matter," she told him. "We're here now." Still, this was something he thought she should know. "I've...I've done this before," he said, his mouth pausing near her collar bone. And by 'this' he meant what they were about to do.

There was a long silence where he held his breath, waiting for her reaction. Then, it came.

"Good," she laughed with a sigh of relief. "Then I don't have to explain where everything goes."

"But-" His eyes snapped up to her in surprised. When he spoke, she could still hear it in his voice. "You...you don't care?"

"Look, Twinkletoes, you had a life before us. No one knows what comes next and-"

"I do," he swore, cutting her off. The intensity with which he said it made her insides twist into knots, then untwist and twist again. "You're it for me, Toph."

She would never know how much it took for him to keep from kissing her senseless in that moment, but he didn't want to sway her with actions. He needed his words to get through to her.

"You," he said, closing all distance that separated them. "You're all I need."

Being an Air Nomad, of course he didn't need much. Being the Avatar, he was taken care of wherever he went. But it was Aang, the boy he had been, the man he had grown into, that was making that promise and her heart swelled. He couldn't possibly be fully aware of what he was saying or know what his words meant to her. She never expected it, not for her, not from him. A wistful smile appeared on her face and Toph shook her head.

"Is it so hard to believe?" Aang asked.

It was.

"Because I thought I was pretty clear with my intentions," he added with a sly smile before dipping his head to place soft kisses up her neck. "I love you," he whispered and she went very still.

Her reaction was what he expected. She was upset, or he thought she was. Despite knowing it was a risk, he couldn't not tell her. The words had been on the tip of his tongue for days. After Katara, Aang didn't think it would happen again. And definitely not so fast. But, it had.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

It took most of her strength to reach up and cradle his face in her hands. And the rest to maintain a steady voice as she replied. "How about... I do, too?" The shy, almost smile on her face made his heart skip a beat.

Nothing could ever sound better and Aang told her so before kissing every last inch of her. He wasted no time tasting her skin, getting lost in the scent that was uniquely hers, touching the dips and swells of her body until he memorized each and every one. That night was only the beginning.

The next few days were incredible. Bending battles that led to making love, falling asleep in each other's arms, greeting each new day side by side. It was a week of bliss and then, the letter that changed everything arrived.

Toph sighed at the memory because their time together had long passed. Four children had happened since then; three his, one hers, none belonging to both. Out in public, they were the perfect friends and colleagues. And yet, there were moments she could sense Aang was also thinking about what they shared. Nothing else could explain that feeling that ran through her, that she was certain he experienced as well whenever their hands came into fleeting contact or whenever someone talked about the early days of the city. It was evident in the way his arms lingered around her after a painfully short embrace and how his heartbeat raced every time she walked into a room. It was clear in the way he said her name when it was just the two of them alone and how they purposely stood in opposite ends of a room when others were present.

Wishful thinking, she told herself. That's all it was. Because they never spoke of their time together. Never. No one else even knew of it. Only she and Aang felt the impact of that one letter. Toph could still remember the two words that destroyed what they had, two words that were like knives to her heart.

_"Katara's pregnant."_

It had been over for months. An amicable breakup. Mutually agreed upon. But in a last ditch effort to save their relationship they tried _everything_. But that was then, now someone else would enter the picture and Toph knew what she had to do.

_"We can work through this," Aang insisted, kissing her hands then holding them to his chest. "Please, don't leave. Please...stay with me, Toph."_

_She wanted to. The World's Greatest Earthbender would have moved the earth itself if it would have helped. But, nothing could._

_"You're going to be a father, Twinkletoes. Sweetness is gonna be a mom." There was no room for her in that equation. Aang and Katara may have grown apart, but they had loved each other once and could do it again. That baby would be counting on it._

_"I don't want to lose you..." he begged and she could hear the tears there._

_Slipping out of his arms, Toph stepped away from him._

_"It's too late," she had told him and then she did what she had to, throwing words around like sharp blades she knew would cut deep. Duty, honor, and his people were counting on him to do the right thing. _

_Aang couldn't argue with that and he had to watch her walk away._

Though it was the right decision at the time, some days it was impossible not to think about what could have been. And, in the back of her mind, if she was the only one who wondered. Then, one night after their ordeal with Yakone in the courthouse, when Aang insisted to be the one to take her home from the hospital after getting an all-clear from the city's best healers, she finally knew.

"You okay, Twinkletoes?"

Toph broke the silence once they reached her house. Knowing how he felt about taking someone's bending away, she knew he couldn't be okay, but she asked the question anyway.

"I should be asking you that," he countered, following her out of the car. He preferred to fly, but a car was good for anonymity. "What Yakone did..." Bloodbending was awful. It robbed a person of control, of choice. It hurt physically to have to endure, and it was mentally draining as well. But, it was much more painful for Aang to have witnessed Toph going through it than having experienced it himself.

After they both entered her home, he closed and locked the door behind them. "Where's Lin?" he asked.

"Suki offered to watch her after _you_ insisted I needed to be checked out," she replied still annoyed. "Why?"

Walking over to the window, the Avatar looked out at the city. The lights, the buildings...it was beautiful. Not even Ba Sing Se was as impressive. With his gaze fixed on the Police Station, he finally addressed the woman standing only a short distance away.

"I didn't fight for you."

That seemed like a strange thing for him to say and Toph made a face. "What are you talking about? No one could possibly know what Yakone was capable of."

In three long strides he was standing before her. Though he took her hand in his, he kept a respectable distance. It didn't matter, the small, but prolonged contact, the feel of skin, the warmth, it put them both on edge.

"What's going on, Aang?"

"I didn't fight for _you_," he repeated, his voice hoarse. When he saw Yakone lift Toph off the ground, bloodbending her against her will, the rage that ran through him could hardly be contained. Had he never learned to master the Avatar state, he would have destroyed that courthouse in seconds. "All those years ago...I didn't fight for us. And I should have."

A sound like a sob tried to escape her lips, but she reeled it in. To hear him say it after so long...to confirm her suspicions... A heaviness, that empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, lodged in her heart, it disappeared with his confession. But as much as she wanted to forget the world again to be with him in that moment, too much had happened, too much had changed. Their children were now involved, for Oma's sake!

Toph tried to move away, but Aang didn't release his hold on to her hand. She could have fought him and he would have probably relented. But, she didn't want to. Instead, she clutched his with the same desperation.

"I wouldn't have let you if you tried," she answered with a smirk, downplaying the swirl of emotion she was experiencing. _No matter how much I would have wanted to_, she added silently. "Things happened the way they did for a reason."

"I know," he agreed with a long sigh. Looking into green eyes that couldn't look back, one thought continued to cross his mind. When he took a step back and let go of her hand, he told her what it was he had been thinking of late.

"Maybe... maybe we'll have better luck next time..."

She scoffed. _I'm not falling for you in another lifetime_, she wanted to say, though something - the _strangest_ feeling - told her she had before and would again. "Maybe," Toph replied with her trademark smirk in place. "We'll see."


	2. Balance

**AN: Totally ignoring canon here. Also, I kinda just wanted the excuse to use the quote from _Mulan_. ;)**

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** Day 2- Balance**

"No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it."

"Stop saying that!" Aang cried in frustration as he got out of bed. He was a monk. Loving. Peaceful. Calm. But Toph had a way of getting under his skin with a simple action or a few choice words. She drove him absolutely crazy some days! Unfortunately for him, it was currently one of those times.

After finding and slipping into his trousers, he turned to her again. Her smirk, which he usually found rather attractive, was infuriating in that moment.

"Look, I asked you to move in with me. All you have to do is give me a straight answer," he insisted, trying to sound less aggravated than he felt. He was in love with the stubborn, infuriating woman and those long months she spent with her parents were the most miserable time of the year for him. If she would only agree to move in with him, his life would be so much better. "If you _don't_ want to live here...you _can_ tell me that..."

Using the blanket that had been tossed aside to the floor, Toph covered herself as she sat up. "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it," she repeated.

"_Toph!_"

The frustrated monk would have yanked his hair out if he had any.

"What?" she laughed, looking beautiful with her hair cascading over her shoulders and those inviting curves peaking from behind the thin blanket. Aang looked away so as not to get distracted. After a slow breath, he spoke again. "I want us to live together."

"So you've said like a million times."

With a sigh, he leaned back against the wall.

"Only because you haven't given me an answer."

"Told you I needed time."

"That was nearly a month ago, Toph."

She wrapped the blanket around herself and stood.

"I don't get what the big deal is. Why the need to make it 'official'? I practically live here anyway. You said so yourself." Toph made her way across the room to where Aang sagged against the wall. "Everyone knows where to find me: the Southern Air Temple. Even my parents send letters here."

"Yes, but..."

"But what?" she asked, purposely letting the blanket fall to the floor and leaning into him. She loved the feel of his bare chest against her own. Running her fingers up along his arms to his shoulders, she went on tiptoe to place one kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Well?"

"You're right," Aang agreed, snaking his arms around her waist. "I'll stop 'howling'," he smiled, following her back to the bed. "Take as much time as you need to decide. I don't ever want to pressure you into anything."

"Good answer," she smirked as they stumbled into bed.

...

Their first time wasn't with each other. Neither was their second. Or third, for that matter. She wasn't the first girl he fell in love with. He wasn't her first love either.

No one ever thought they would end up together. Or last once it happened. They were too different, they said. They'd never agree on anything meaningful, others thought.

But none of that mattered when they were alone. Usually she was tough as a rock and he, gentle like the wind. But, when it was just the two of them, her walls came down, his confidence grew and she could be soft as sand and he as hard as a hurricane.

_"Move in with me, Toph."_

_"You're not thinking straight," she teased, wrapping her fingers around his length. "I wonder why..."_

_It was difficult to stay focused, but since he finally brought up the subject, he would stay on point._

_"I'm serious. You practically live here anyway," he added, fighting back the groan her ministrations nearly caused. "__This... can be... your home__." He wanted to kiss the self-satisfied grin off her face, but he stilled her hand instead. "Toph, I'm being serious."_

_"Why here?" she countered, pouting because she wasn't torturing him mercilessly anymore. "Why do I have to be the one that moves? Why don't you move in with me? What's so great about the Southern Air Temple? We can live in Gaoling? Or Ba Sing Se!"_

_She had not said yes, he reminded himself, quelling the rising hope. _

_"You didn't ask me," he replied simply. "Besides, _you_ don't want to live in Gaoling _or_Ba Sing Se _either."

_She chewed on her bottom lip. __"...I'll think about it," she finally relented and he did shower her with kisses then._

_"I haven't said yes, you know?" came her retort, but she was grinning, taking any potential sting from her words._

_"I know," he agreed, nuzzling her neck. "But I also know how I feel about you and as long as you're considering living here with me, I can't complain."_

...

The sun was setting, leaving the room darker by the minute. Not that Toph cared and since Aang was asleep, it's not like it mattered. Still, the night was growing colder and she curled further against his body. Even asleep, Aang had a way of sensing what she needed and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

He was always doing things like that, she thought with a smile. Sweet, thoughtful things that even a few months ago she would have scoffed at and ridiculed. But now, she could admit, if only to herself, that she liked when he did them. Of course, she had a reputation to uphold, so if others were around, she reacted accordingly.

Still, it was because of him. She'd been in other relationships and it was only with Aang that she changed. And she noticed, he had too.

The older he got the more mature he grew. It was bound to happen. He couldn't stay the naive airhead at eighteen that he had been at twelve. But once they started traveling the world together again, and later, when she finally couldn't deny her attraction to the airbender and he surprised her by kissing her first, he changed even more. She noticed it in the way he spoke to others, in the way he didn't back down for fear of offending people. He was never cruel, like she might have chosen to be when some made her angry, but he was resolute. He didn't waver and he stood his ground.

Maybe Iroh was right. They didn't have the same disposition or similar philosophies, even their native elements were natural opposites. However, they did complement each other in all the ways that matter. She made him stronger, believed in him, and always had his back. He got her to open up, never broke her trust, and always had _her_ back. She loved her freedom and so did he. He wanted a family and found one in her. Plus, there was also one other tiny detail which was difficult to overlook; Toph couldn't remember ever being happier.

"Twinkletoes, you asleep?"

He mumbled something incoherent against her shoulder.

"Too bad, wake up," she demanded, ramming an elbow into his chest.

"Ow, Toph! What was that for?"

Ignoring his complaints, she turned to face him.

"Fine."

"Fine what?" he asked, irritated, and still rubbing his chest.

"I'll move in with you."

The pain throbbing along his sternum was forgotten.

"Really?"

"This doesn't mean I'm 'bowing'," she was quick to point out.

"Of course you're not," he acknowledged while he kissed her lips and cheeks and nose and every part of her face. "You're my beautiful, strong, steadfast mountain."

"And you're my whiny, wimpy wind," she countered with a teasing smile.

"So long as I get to be yours..."

The airbender always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her blush a little and she kissed him to distract him from that fact. When he pulled away though, he began to go on and _on_ about how happy he was and how happy he would make her and how happy Appa and Momo would be and she snapped.

"Okay, I said I'd live here! Stop with the mushy, gooey crap already."

If she could've seen Aang's mischievous smile, she would have very likely punched it off.

"No matter how much the mountain asks, the wind will not listen to it," he said.

"_Oma_," Toph grumbled, running a hand down her face. "That's not how the saying goes! Get it right, Aang."

"No matter how much the mountain says to get it right, the wind will not listen to it," he stated, barely holding back the laughter ready to erupt.

"Twinkletoes, if you don't quit it, this mountain is gonna kick your ass!"

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "I'll stop."

"You better."

"The wind will only stop because-"

She straddled his lap and kissed him, effectively shutting him up.

Yes, the mountain had learned from the wind itself how to be _very_ persuasive.


	3. Manners

**Day 3- Manners**

I watch them together. He's smiling and so is she, and yet they both pretend like they're not. I didn't understand at first, but it didn't take me long to see what was going on.

They've been like this the last few weeks. Spending practically the whole of their day together. They fight a lot, more with bending than with words. But they laugh a lot, too. And I like to see them happy. Him, especially. He's been sad a lot in his young life. He's only sixteen, but he's suffered many great losses.

I think he knows she's the reason he's always smiling nowadays because the last few weeks he's come up with varying excuses to keep her from leaving. Her parents want her to return home, but he keeps coming up with reasons for her to stay.

One week, he needed some earthbending practice. Two weeks after that, he said he was ready to learn metalbending. A month later, he asked her to teach him all the Earth Kingdom dances she had been taught. Though he knew many of the old dances from around the world, he claimed he wanted to know more modern ones.

This week, he came up with the not so brilliant idea of asking her to teach him about manners. That seemed like the flimsiest excuse yet and I was certain she'd see right through his ploy. But, she did not. Still, she didn't make it easy for him. She never does. I think he likes the challenge.

"You want me to teach you what?" she grumbled and he began to grow disheartened, I could see it in the way his shoulders slouched and the corners of his lips turned down.

"Well," began his explanation and I was curious as to what it would be. "I spend a lot of time with kings and nobles and dignitaries, as you know. And, I was thinking, who better to show me the proper way to behave around them than you, Toph. You grew up in that world-"

"And chose to leave it," she reminded him. But he wasn't giving up yet and he cleared his throat once before he continued.

"True, but when we're in court, you're always the one reminding me what to do and what I should stay clear of. And remember when we were in Ba Sing Se a few years ago, you were going to teach me and Sokka about manners?"

She made a face, then shook her head. "No, I said you two would be lucky to pass as busboys!"

"Ah, come on, Toph! Please!"

"What do I get out of it?"

"The satisfaction of helping a friend?" he offered, smiling hopefully.

She laughed in his face, but I knew she was going to agree. Whenever she crossed her arms and tipped her head forward to hide away the color that rose to her face, she always smiled this secret smile I hadn't seen until recently. See, I'm not sure when it started or when things changed, but they have both been acting a little strange and awkward and some days just plain confused. It was almost like once they turned sixteen, they were each very much aware of the other. Things that might have been there before, but they failed to notice, now grabbed their undivided attention.

For example, most nights she asked him to read scrolls to her. Long stories about anything and everything. Pirates, war, fairy tales, and romance. When he read those, they both had turned bright red by the end. And, when he was finished and they were getting ready for bed, she would mumble and complain about his "stupid, _stupid_ voice". But if she thought his voice was so stupid, why would she keep asking him to read to her?

And he was the same way.

"Do you think she's different?" he would asked me on those occasions she left. "She's taller, I suppose. But it's something else... Her hair looks really shiny, especially when she leaves it down. And, her lashes are so long and dark and make her green eyes just... stand out. I can't help wonder why I never really noticed it before. And then there's the shade and shape of her lips which look so soft..."

He would get like that, just lay on the ground and look up at the stars, and talk and talk about her when she wasn't around. But when she returned, he would never tell her any of it. I didn't get it.

And times like now, when they were standing so close to each other, not speaking, not doing anything. He would look at her with this dreamy expression on his face and she looked like she was going to beat him up. Her hands were two tight fists at her side.

"Okay," she said suddenly.

"Okay? So, you'll do it?" he asked, laughing. "You'll help me?"

"Yup, but you owe me."

"Yeah, sure," he agreed, wrapping her up in a big hug. When he let her go they were both blushing again. "Can we, uh, get started now?"

"Now? But it's dinner time."

It _was_ dinner time and I was hungry, so I growled to let them know I disapproved of his idea.

"See, Appa's hungry, too."

"I know, I know, but the thing is," he was rubbing the back of his head like he did when he was nervous. I wondered what he could be nervous about? He wanted her to stay a little longer and now she was going to. "There's this thing I wanted to ask you," he continued, "because you're from the Earth Kingdom so you probably have an idea of the proper way to, uh, to, you know..." He shuffled his feet. "Um, how do I ask a girl, from the Earth Kingdom, out on a date?"

She didn't say anything for a long time.

"Lemme get this straight. You wanna know the proper way to ask an Earth Kingdom girl out on a date?"

"Y-yes?"

"That's why you asked me to teach you about manners?"

"...Yes?"

She seemed upset for some reason and started to walk away from him.

"Manners is one thing, Twinkletoes. I ain't giving you dating advice."

"Toph, wait up. I just..." he walked up behind her. His hand around hers stopped her instantly. "I think that I..."

Her free hand was a tight fist again and I was sure that at any moment, she was going to throw one of those powerful punches that sent him flying up in the air.

"I want to be honest..." he said, stepping close to where she stood. He nearly took her other hand, but brought his back down at the last second. "But, I don't want to mess things up between _us_." His voice was so low I could barely hear and with the lemur chattering nearby, it was difficult to make out the words, but it sounded like he added, "You're my best friend and... you mean so much to me..."

Her expression changed and she raised her face to his. Unlike before, her reply came quickly.

"You won't mess anything up," she assured him, starting to grin. "I'll make sure of it."

I _think_ that was what she said, but the lemur had started jumping up and down in front of me, making it hard to focus on anything else. When I looked back at Aang and Toph, they were standing very close. Moving towards each other, closer and closer until their lips were touching.

I growled to get their attention because I was starving, but now _both_ ignored me. Eventually, I turned away from them and took flight after the lemur. He usually had a good idea of where to find the tastiest fruit.

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_AN: We're almost halfway through Taang Week! \o/ Today's theme gave me some trouble, but I hope it doesn't show! ;) Anyway, after writing these last few days, I kinda noticed I have three versions of Taang in my head: the young, innocent, and cute ATLA Taang; teenage, unsure, hormonal PMP Taang; and older, hella sexy LOK Taang. Anyone else do this too?_


	4. Family

**Day 4- Family**

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"Go back to sleep, Twinkletoes!" Toph growled, burying herself further under the layers upon layers of warm blankets and thick pelts. "It is too cold and too early in the morning to be dealing with all that nonsense you're going on about."

All he had been doing was making idle conversation, asking about her metalbenders and random things they might have to deal with once they returned home. Still, they _were_ on vacation and he _did_ have Toph all to himself... It was something that didn't happen very often.

Reaching over, he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her flush against him. Had they been anywhere else in the world other than the South Pole, Toph would have kicked him off. As things stood, the delicious heat radiating from his naked torso made a soft, satisfied moan escape her lips. She went so far as to nestle back further into the warm crook of his body.

"Don't you miss this?" Aang whispered, voice low, lips ghosting across the shell of her ear. "Just you and me?"

"Hey, you're the one that wanted kids, remember?" she joked. "Now, quit your yapping and let me enjoy this."

Lately he had been acting like his eighteen year old self again, his hormones leading the way whenever the two of them were alone. Not that she was complaining. Toph could still remember what a frazzled mess he'd been in the early stages of the building of Republic City. They'd both been incredibly busy during the day and utterly exhausted at night. She's not even sure how they managed to conceive Lin, let alone Gyatso two years later.

Aang nuzzled her neck and began trailing kisses along her back. His fingers drew patterns across her hips as they traveled down towards their destination.

"I know _one_ way you can get me to stop talking..." he whispered against her skin.

Barely able to contain the shudder his closeness and the sound of his voice elicited, she turned in his arms to face him.

"_One_ way, Aang? I know three," she replied. Her teasing smirk made his mouth go dry, his heart speed up, and thinking all but impossible. When her hands danced along his chest and continued down between them, Aang kissed the nape of her neck grateful that Toph had never needed much convincing. Or so he believed until she added, "They involve earth, metal, and sand. If I had any in this room, I'd shut you up right quick."

Draping one leg over his, she smiled when his laughter reverberated through her.

"What's so funny, daddy?"

Aang broke apart from Toph so fast, he nearly fell out of the bed. Careful to stay covered, Toph scrambled for her nightshirt because at the door stood a seven-year-old Lin, rubbing her eyes with two tiny fists. And of course, her brother walked in right after.

"Didn't we lock the door?" Aang asked his wife. Blood rushed to his face, extremely embarrassed that his children nearly walked in on him and Toph...doing stuff. Or rather, about to get there.

"Where's Uncle Sokka?" the Avatar asked, his voice cracking as he grabbed his tunic and pants off the floor. Sokka and Suki were supposed to watch the children for the entire night until morning, giving the other adults at least one night's break and some much needed alone time. The day before had been Aang and Toph's turn. It was a long night she was still recovering from. The World's Greatest Earthbender would have tired the kids out had they been on dry land, but they had the advantage on ice. "And Aunt Suki?! Where is _she_?"

"Still sleeping."

"Like you two should be doing," Toph snapped. Though she wasn't as easily flustered as her husband, this was as close to being mortified as she could ever remember being. "Twinkletoes, where is my shirt?!" she demanded, hiding under the blankets, one hand extended out towards her husband.

"But...I'm not tired," Gyatso yawned, following his sister as they both made their way over to the bed.

Aang had never moved faster. He whirled by in a near blur gathering their discarded clothing. They had not been very patient the night before and in their hurry had tossed their attire, leaving it scattered all over the place.

"Over here, kiddos," Toph insisted after having slipped into the nightshirt Aang placed in the palm of her hand. "Your dad needs a minute."

Climbing over her mother's lap, Lin settled herself right in the middle of the bed. "Were you making a baby?" she asked.

"_What!?_" Aang yelled at the same time Toph snorted. "Where did you- How do you- I mean," the Avatar cleared his throat. "What do you mean, honey?" he added, feigning calmness. He crossed and uncrossed his arms, while taking deep breaths to calm himself and mentally prepare for the draining experience he felt looming.

"Ursa told me that her dad told her that's how you make babies."

Toph snickered. "What did she say exactly?" She was so gonna make fun of Sparky for this.

"That you have to lay down in bed with your wife or husband and if you both ask really nicely, the spirits would bring you a baby."

Toph's laughter echoed through the large room. "So you lay down with your partner and...that's it?" she giggled.

Lin shrugged her small shoulders not understanding why her mother found it so funny. "I guess so." The little girl looked from her mom, who was grinning from ear to ear and trying not to burst out laughing, to her father, who was still bright, bright red. "Is that what you and dad did to have me and Gyatso?"

Toph opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by her husband. "We are _not_ having that conversation right now."

"Okay."

Having lost interest, Lin fell back on the fluffy pillows. Her little brother was right next to her.

...

On one end of the bed, Toph and Gyatso had fallen asleep. In the other, Aang and Lin sat together as she practiced reading from one of the scrolls on the table.

"Hey, dad?

"Yes?"

"How did you and mom meet?"

It was a story they had yet to share with their children. As Aang looked over at Toph, who had her back to him, he couldn't help but smile. Who knew that when he'd gone looking for an earthbending teacher he'd find his best friend, lover, and future wife?

_"Why do I put up with you?" Toph asked the night before. She'd been teasing him, like usual, but he hadn't always been able to reply as he could now._

_"Because you love me," he beamed as he kissed the back of her bare shoulder._

_"Yeah, don't remind me," she muttered, smirking._

_And the first time she had said the actual words, he nearly flew straight up though the roof. Of course, he'd been pretending to be asleep at the time and it took all his focus to keep from yelling he loved her, too. It was one of the best nights of his life. It was the night they made Lin._

Aang turned back to his daughter. Her big green eyes were looking up at him, awaiting an answer.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, Aunt Suki was telling us how when she first met Uncle Sokka, she captured him."

That made him chuckle. He could almost picture Sokka's face as he probably tried to argue with the truth of that statement.

"And what did Uncle Sokka say?"

"Only that Aunt Suki cheated." Her father's laughter was contagious and though she tried not to, she giggled along. "So, did mom capture you, too, when you first met?"

A knock at the door interrupted them. Aang answered it to receive an urgent message from Air Temple Island.

"What is it, dad?"

The Avatar's smile could not be contained.

"We have to return home," he explained as he walked around the bed to wake his wife.

"But _why_?" Lin pouted, crossing her arms and looking so much like a tiny version of an angry Toph that it was almost scary. "Aunt Katara was supposed to take us penguin sledding later today."

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until next time."

...

"Told you there was something different about that boy."

Toph's smug smile greeted him when he looked over his shoulder at her. If she hadn't been helping Lin into Appa's saddle, he might have sent a small blast of freezing cold air her way. She hated when he did that.

"Which one is Tenzin again?" Gyatso asked airbending himself onto his father's lap. Aang knew everyone who lived on Air Temple Island - every Acolyte and their families - but his son was more preoccupied with chasing lemurs and flying bison to learn anyone's name for more than a day. "The one with brown eyes or grey eyes, mom?"

Toph sighed because even her own children forgot she was blind. "He's the one Lin is always fighting with."

"I don't fight with him," Lin stated, sounding offended. "He _won't_ fight me. He's a lily-livered-"

"_Lin_."

"Sorry, dad," the little girl apologized, but it didn't sound like she was sorry at all.

"So, if Tenzin's an airbender now," Gyatso began, "Does that mean dad's not the last one?"

Lin huffed in irritation. "_You _are an airbender, you noodlebrain!" she cried, rolling her eyes at her brother.

"I'm not a noodlebrain, you are!"

"Hey, no name-calling. That's my job." Separating her children, Toph moved to sit directly behind Aang. "You know what this means, right, Twinkletoes?"

The emotion was overwhelming and for a moment he could only reply with a shaky nod.

Lin inched closer to her parents. "What does it mean?" she asked. "That there are _other _Air Nomads?"

Aang took a long breath before answering.

"That's what we're going to find out."


	5. Tattoos

**AN: ****Because Toph would find it quite amusing... ;)**

* * *

**Day 5- Tattoos**

"Read the tattoo one again."

The frown on Aang's face deepened and the red coloring his face intensified. "I'd rather not," he replied, clearing his throat and trying to get his escalating heartbeat under control.

"Ah, c'mon, Twinkletoes!" she urged, practically bouncing in place.

Aang hated to deny her anything, but it was just too embarrassing. There was no way he could do it. He'd read each once. That was one more time than he wanted to!

"No. I am not going to read that again, Toph," he stated and his tone brook no argument.

Disbelieving, her face dropped. "Whatever," she muttered, snatching the scroll from his hand. "Snoozles can translate it into that blind language you two were working on and I'll read it myself."

"But... You can't do that! You can't ask _Sokka_!"

Yup, she had him right where she wanted him.

"I can do whatever I want," she declared, heading for the door.

"But, but..._fine_," he sighed in defeat and sounding more than a little exasperated. "Why do we have these anyway?" Aang asked, trying to stall for time as he collapsed on the couch.

"I told you," she chuckled at his obvious discomfort and attempts to delay the inevitable. "Iroh found them in his tea shop."

A group of teenagers would meet up at The Jasmine Dragon every Wednesday without fail. The old general assumed they were university students there to drink tea and do homework. One Wednesday a student forgot a satchel full of scrolls. Expecting them to return since they had been loyal customers for quite a while, Iroh placed it in one of the cabinets in the back kitchen. But, none of the students ever came back. Not even after a whole month passed. That was when he decided to look through the satchel hoping to find a name. He found something else entirely.

"Toph, _come on_," Aang pleaded, cheeks burning, but her smile only grew. "It contains... _adult_ content!" he added in a horrified whisper. "About us!"

"Technically, it's not _us _us. But yes, it's got 'adult content'," she mocked, laughing freely. "It's fiction that one of your many fans wrote about you. And, me. It's fan-fiction," she grinned. "Now, you gonna read it or not? It's either that or I take it to Sokka."

Sighing, the monk took the scroll from her because he knew she never made an empty threat. He cleared his throat about to begin, but she stopped him with her hand on his arm.

"At least this one's good. I'm not asking you to read the arrow one, am I?" He shuddered at the thought. Why would he ever get an arrow on his... It wasn't worth thinking about. "_Or_ the mud one...?" He actually kind of, _maybe_ liked that one, but he kept that to himself. Toph's big, toothy smile, however, told him there was no need for him to say anything anyway. "You can read the mud one next," she whispered in his ear before flopping back on the couch.

Barely keeping from turning every shade of red imaginable, Aang dissolved into a coughing fit.

"This one isn't that great," he insisted after getting up to have a drink of water. "It's pretty terrible actually."

"Are you kidding? It's awesome! It's so bad, it's good!"

Ignoring her enthusiasm, Aang let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Don't you think it's a little strange that people write, uh, steamy stories about us?"

Toph crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to give his question some serious thought.

"No," she said after a few minutes.

"No?"

"If it makes them happy and they're not hurting anyone, who are we to judge?"

Maybe she had a point. "I suppose you're right..."

"Of course I am! Now, read it," she ordered, tugging on his arm until he was sitting down next to her again. She got comfortable quick, crossing her feet over his lap and tucking her hands behind her head.

_"It was a dark and stormy night when they could no longer fight the crushing weight of their attraction. They would have drowned like shipwrecked victims at sea had they not succumbed to the burning passion, humid and hot and thick as it was, nearly choking each with its ferocity." _Aang paused. "I don't even know what that means."

"It means we want each other, now keep going!"

_"Their love was eternal, like the Avatar cycle itself, their passion intense like the elements they commanded. He was the handsome, all-powerful Avatar Aang and she was the very beautiful and doubly fearsome-"_

"I like that, fearsome."

_"-Chief of Police, Toph Beifong. Together, they kept Republic City safe from danger."_

"We sound like crime-fighters," she snickered.

"You want me to read this or not?"

"Geez, relax, handsome, all-powerful Avatar."

Turning pink, Aang rolled his eyes, but continued with the story.

_"It wasn't at all like she expected their first time to be."_

"So after saving the city, we just jump into bed?"

"I don't know, I didn't write this!"

Unable to help herself, she laughed at the high pitch sound of his voice. She really did love to make him squirm.

"Okay, go on," she instructed, waving her hand in the air magnanimously.

_"Toph was used to leading the way and Aang usually followed like a lost turtleduck- _I do not follow you like a lost turtleduck!"

"'Course you don't," she grinned humoring him.

_"-but this time, he did not wait. There was a hunger in his actions, a reckless abandon she had never felt before. It didn't frighten her, though perhaps it should have. __The way he moved, the things he said, it was nothing like she thought it would be and Toph loved every minute of it." _Aang could feel the heat rising from his neck to his ears, but he pressed on. _"She wrapped her creamy thighs around his slim waist, her full breasts pressed to his chest, as her mouth found his."_

Toph snorted, then cackled. How she could find it all so hilarious when he was mortified, the young monk would never understand.

_"His hands traveled along her figure, her skin was as soft and smooth as the finest silk-"_

"Pfft, yeah, whatever," she muttered sarcastically. Absently, she ran her fingertips over the tiny crisscrosses along her forearm.

Aang lowered the scroll and turned to her. "You can't even see them," he promised, leaning over to place a few scattered kissed along every small scar he could see. "Besides, they're battle scars. They make you look _more_ fearsome."

His bright smile wasn't completely lost on her, she could hear it in his voice as he tried to reassure her. Toph shook her head at him even as a pale pink stained her cheeks.

"Don't think this means you can stop reading."

Taking her hand in his, Aang pressed his lips to the inside of her palm before returning to the 'Tattoo one', as Toph dubbed it. Grey eyes skimmed the scroll, skipping ahead, forgoing some of the rather, um, explicit parts.

_"A different night, after a long day of helping people, catching bad guys, and doing their jobs as Avatar and Chief of Police, Toph wanted to try something new in their already _very_ passionate love-making."_

Her laughter filled the room.

He waited a beat before asking, "Should I go on?"

"Yeah," she answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "_Oma_, that's good stuff..."

"_'Show me your tattoos, my hunky Avatar,' she demanded in a breathy tone and-_"

"Just so we're clear, I wouldn't call _anyone_ a hunky _anything_!" she interjected.

"Not even me," he teased, giving her the the most irresistible puppy dog eyes he could manage. She couldn't see the expression of course and smacked his arm before telling him to continue.

"Okay, where was I...oh yeah. '_Show me your tattoos, _my hunky Avatar_,' she demanded in a breathy tone and __climbed onto his lap._ _'But...you can't _see_ my tattoos, Toph,' the Avatar reminded her._"

"You'd think if anyone would remember I was blind it'd be me," she muttered, then giggled immediately after.

"_'But she didn't care, she loved him far too much. The desire that ran through her when he touched her body was electric. His hands were on her thighs, his mouth along her neck... That's when Toph began to rock her hips over his. Her movements were slow, sensual..." _Aang's mouth had gone dry. Letting the scroll roll up on itself, he stood. "Let's stop here for now."

Should she let him off the hook that easy? Nah, what kind of girlfriend would she be then?

"Don't be a spoil sport, Aang."

"Toph, I can't read that anymore," he told her as he walked out of their room, scroll in hand. "I think I need to meditate."

"But we didn't even get to the best part!" she called after him. "Twinkletoes, get back here! Your glistening sword hasn't entered my love cave yet! And I haven't made your tattoos glow!"


	6. Lies

**AN: This one's a crossover.**

* * *

**Day 6- Lies**

_"How's she doing?"_

The voice was familiar, comforting almost.

_"Hasn't slept much. Won't eat. Still hasn't left the room."_

The second voice was not familiar or comforting. It was older, cold, detached.

Her hearing in this place wasn't what it used to be, but she could make out their hushed voices outside her door clear enough. The walls, the floor, something creaked. One of them was about to come in.

_"It's difficult for some,"_ the unknown voice added. A reminder, a warning. _"We don't usually free a mind once it's reached a certain age. It's dangerous, the_ _mind has trouble letting go."_

A long pause.

_"I'll talk to her,"_ the familiar voice promised and minutes later the heavy, metal door swung open.

...

They sat side by side on the narrow cot that she had used as a bed the last few nights. It was old and lumpy and only slightly more comfortable than the metal floor below her feet. She knew that because she actually tried sleeping on that instead.

"Toph."

"That's not my name, remember?" she snapped, but the bite in her tone was gone. She sounded only half alive. Inwardly, she cringed at how weak and pathetic she was being.

It wasn't like her. But, that was the problem, wasn't it? She didn't know _who_ she was, _who_ she was supposed to be now. As if reading her thoughts, he finally spoke up.

"You're still the same person." Reaching for her hand, he stopped midway. With a sigh, he continued. "I am, too. We're the same people we've always been and-"

"_No_."

It was the voice of the Blind Bandit and one side of her mouth curled up.

Still, she wouldn't look at him. Couldn't. Her gaze remained focused on her hands lying in her lap. Her skin looked so soft, so smooth, paler than she ever realized. Frail and delicate were the words that came to mind. Because gone were the tiny scars she had felt crisscross her hands and arms. Gone were the calluses on her palms, once rough from earthbending. In their place, skin like a baby's and black rings where her body had been pierced with cables.

When she closed her eyes she could _see_ the badgermoles, that first day she used her bending, eventually sneaking out of her house to become Earth Rumble Champion. Then, getting knocked out of the ring by Twinkletoes, running away with him, helping him win the war. Years later, without meaning to, she fell in love with Aang and he with her. Their first kiss, their first time...

None of it was real.

"Don't you get it?" she said on the verge of losing it. "It was all a _lie_. All of it."

"Not all of it," he replied just as adamantly. That time he did take her hand with steady confidence.

When his came into her line of sight, brushing his fingers over the back of her hand, she frowned a little. The tattoos she often wondered about were gone, too. As he laced his hand with hers, she choked back the sob stuck in her throat. His hand was so warm and tangible, she focused on that to steady her, and squeezed back.

Closing her eyes, she imagined they were back home. Flying on Appa from one city to the next, the sun on her face, the wind in her hair. Momo would be sleeping on her lap and Aang would be telling her stories of his people or trying to steal a kiss...

When she reached for the bangs he often liked to sweep away from her face, the illusion was broken. Instead of silky strands, there was short, prickly stubble along her scalp. Instead of her seismic sense, she had eyes that could see just like everyone else's. Everything was different. Instead of the lush, wonderfully smelling world she learned to earthbend in, there was only metal, the smell of death and decay, and something called sentient machines. Instead of the peace they fought for when they were children, there was a very different war raging on.

"I wish we could go back."

"You don't mean that."

"I do," she assured him. She did. With her whole heart. "I'm..."

"You're what?" he asked, inching closer until the sides of their bodies touched. He hoped she would welcome the contact, if not, he would slide away and give her her space. "Toph?"

Gently, he lifted her face to his. When she caught a glimpse of his jaw, she shut her eyes tight. It was childish perhaps, but seeing him would make this 'real world' infinitely more real. For her, anyway. Because then, there would be no more pretending otherwise. Once she saw his face and looked into his eyes the truth of those lies would come crashing down on her.

His breath ghosted across her lips, softening her expression, but her eyes remained closed. Then, he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Please open your eyes," he whispered, brushing the side of her face with the back of his hand. "Please _look_ at me, Toph."

Had she attempted to speak, the tears would have fallen and she didn't know if she would be able to stop them, so she simply shook her head. She could not look at him. She couldn't.

"What happened to facing things head on?" he asked her.

"That never happened."

"Of course, it did," he said with such vehemence, his entire body trembled. "_We_ were real. That wasn't a lie! We were real, Toph. We _are_ real. Unless..."

"Unless what?" she asked, opening her eyes, but keeping them lowered. In her periphery she could see his lips, the tip of his nose...

"Unless you were only with me because I was the Avatar...?"

She snorted. "I was with you _despite_ it."

"Prove it," he challenged because whether in the Four Nations or outside it, he knew she couldn't resist a challenge.

With time slowing to a halt, heartbeat rising, breath hitched in her throat, the young woman raised her eyes to his. Along the way her gaze lingered on his lips, pale and full. His nose, not as long as she imagined, but slightly wider. And then, his eyes. Brilliant, luminous, the color of the metal walls she woke up to. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"We're in this together," he promised, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Then, with a hesitance that felt so familiar, he closed the small distance between them.

The kiss was soft, so incredibly soft that a few traitorous tears fell, but she didn't care. It was strange to think _this_ was the first time their lips were actually touching and it felt just as wonderful. It was different and the same, just like everything in this new place would be. But she didn't care. Her focus was on _him_, on the feel of his mouth, the taste. Warm and slick, his tongue slid against hers and a small sound escaped her as they deepened the kiss.

He was the first to pull away. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and lose herself in him once again, have it be like it was but, that wasn't possible anymore. Looking up into his eyes, bright and light, she knew he was right. None of it had been a lie. It was all real. Just like this new place would be.

"We took the red pill for a reason, Toph."

She took it to help him, to protect him. Isn't that what the woman Niobe said.

_"He won't survive without you. The others...they will have their own issues to deal with and have much difficulty adjusting, but you never really saw the dream world you were in... The transition should be...easier. But ultimately, the choice is yours."_

Not much of a choice. And, Niobe couldn't have been more wrong, but those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind.

"What about the others?" she asked. Sweetness. Snoozles. Sparky. Fangirl. "We gonna find them and unplug them, too?"

Those beautiful grey eyes smiled back. Oh, she could definitely get used to this seeing thing.

"Yes, we are."

"Good," Toph grinned, for the first time looking like her old self in this real world. "Let's get started then."

* * *

_AN: So...what'd you think? It was purposely vague, but since _The Matrix_ is one of my favorite movies, this was bound to happen eventually! ;) And it fit nicely with the 'Lies' theme, I think, so there it is. =)_


	7. Realization

**Day 7- Realization**

"What is your problem?"

The irritation was clear in her voice and he replied in kind.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Obviously skeptical, she crossed her arms over her chest. The disbelief in her expression was palpable.

"I don't need to see any vibrations to know you're lying, Aang."

He flinched slightly at her harsh tone. Mainly because he _was_ lying, but also because he didn't think he was being _that_ obvious. He was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, his feet off the ground just so she wouldn't be able to tell.

"It's just...Avatar stuff," he stated simply.

"Avatar stuff?"

The worry overtaking the anger she spoke with earlier made him feel guilty. It might have been easy to lie again, but he couldn't. Not to her.

"It's just..."

"_Just..._?" Toph moved to sit on the log he was on. "Having to hide who we are got old fast, didn't it?"

Whenever they had gone into town for the festival or to get supplies, he and Toph had worn disguises. The Avatar was very popular wherever he went and the Greatest Earthbender in the World always drew a crowd as well.

"No, it's not that."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "It's not the Freedom Fighters, is it?"

Yes. One in particular.

"Who?" she demanded to know as she stood, cracking her knuckles in the process.

Aang didn't answer. How could he when it was one of their friends?

The Duke.

The thing was, the boy wasn't doing anything. Not really. Nothing that should have bothered Aang, in any case.

All he had done was ask the Avatar a question that both surprised and confused the monk tremendously. It should have been easy enough to answer, but the airbender found himself...quite unsure.

_"Hey, Aang?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"You mind if I ask you something?"_

_"Of course not, Duke. What is it?"_

_"It's _The _Duke," the younger boy found himself insisting for the umpteenth time._

_Confused, Aang made a face. "But Toph calls you Duke..."_

_The youngest Freedom Fighter suddenly looked nervous and Aang didn't know what that fidgeting was about._

_"She's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."_

_Smiling as encouragingly as possible, the Avatar waited patiently, while at the same time trying not to jump to any conclusions. Still, he couldn't help wonder if perhaps someone in town had recognized her. Maybe someone bothered her because of it. Lately, more people than usual (men, especially) had been attempting to gain her attention everywhere they went. At first Aang had believed being a war hero was the cause, but he was starting to second guess that._

_"I don't want this to come across as __offensive or __weird in any way, but...are you and Toph involved?"_

_Blinking a few times, Aang found himself unable to reply._

_"Involved?" he repeated, barely able to move his mouth enough to form the word._

_"Yeah, you know, like a couple?"_

_The Duke looked incredibly embarrassed. Aang was certain he did too. They both stared down at the ground between them avoiding the other's gaze. Finally, the airbendered answered._

_"...No."_

_It was the truth. He and Toph were just friends. They weren't romantically involved in any way, shape, or form. But for some reason, as he uttered that one word, it felt like he wasn't being completely honest._

_The Duke seemed to be experiencing an altogether opposite emotion. Just as Aang could feel himself withering, the other boy's entire face lit up. He looked as though the Avatar had just given him the best present ever._

_"That's... I was worried you were," he admitted, looking sheepish first and then visibly relieved. "You hear things, you know?"_

_"What things?"_

_The Duke laughed and this deep sound filled the space around them. For the first time, Aang seemed to notice he wasn't that eight year old boy anymore. At only thirteen, he was nearly as tall as Aang and his voice was much deeper than his own._

_That was when Aang cleared his throat, squared his shoulders, and asked a question in return._

_"Are you... Do _you_ like Toph?"_

_The boy blushed, his cheeks and ears bright red like the apples they bought only the day before at the market. As he ran his hand through his scruffy hair, brown eyes locked into grey. The boy stood up straight and nodded with a certainty that made Aang's stomach drop. The Avatar felt like he was going to be sick._

_"Oh," the monk managed to say. A foreign feeling began to creep inside him, small at first, then growing and coiling like a prickle snake, hissing with anger and...and something like envy. But that couldn't be right..._

_"Yeah and I wanted to tell her." The Duke got this faraway look in his eye. "Jet always said girls like confidence. And they like when you're honest, too."_

_A long silence followed._

_"She's like no one I've ever met," The Duke gushed, kicking at the dirt. __"Tough and strong and funny. Plus, she's just...she's so pretty."_

_"Yeah, so?" Aang replied. It was as though someone just said the grass was green or the sky was blue. Toph was beautiful, it was a simple fact. She was the Greatest Earthbender in the World, of course she was tough and strong. He'd never given it more thought than that. __"But she's older than you."_

_The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Still, The Duke shrugged as if that was only a minor inconvenience._

_"True. I'm thirteen and she's seventeen, but I don't think it'll matter much when I'm twenty and she's twenty-four."_

_Aang wanted to argue with him, crush this newfound hope bursting from the boy. The Avatar wanted to tell The Duke he was wrong, that Toph wasn't the right one for him. Because...because...she just wasn't!_

___"Has she said she feels the same way?" the airbender asked, finding that each word was harder to say than the previous one._

___"Well, not exactly." The hissing snake in his stomach quieted for the moment. "But we get along great," the boy quickly amended. "And, honestly..." he looked around the forest to make sure they were alone. "I think...she might like me, too."_

___The snake grew to the size of a komodo rhino. It pushed against his rib cage, stomping and growling, making his hands turn to fists. Aang was furious, getting angrier by the second, not realizing why he was getting so upset only that he could hardly control his emotions when he thought of Toph and The Duke. Together. It shouldn't be that way. It shouldn't. It should be Toph and...and then, he froze._

___Spirits..._

_How could it be? How could he have not realized it before? Shaking his head, he wondered how he could have been so blind?_

_Toph...she...he..._he_ liked Toph?_

_Aang paced the near empty campsite. With every step he took, the breeze around them grew stronger. The Duke watched with a curious expression on his face._

_"Hey, are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine," the monk lied, pausing and forcing a small smile to his face. How could he not have seen it sooner?_

_"So, can I ask you a favor, Aang?"_

_"Sure," he replied absently, his thoughts on the girl he hadn't been aware of he had feelings for._

_"You mind not coming along today?" Grey eyes snapped up. "See, I wanted to talk to Toph alone and I know we all agreed to go to the festival together since it's the last day it's in town, but-"_

_Deflating even further, Aang cut him off, muttering a sullen, "Yeah, sure. No problem." __What other choice did he have?_

_..._

Toph and The Duke did go to the festival, leaving Aang behind to wallow in the strange new feelings that had suddenly emerged full force. That's how she had found him, sitting on a log, sulking.

"So...you gonna talk, Twinketoes? Or am I gonna have to beat it outta you?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't gimme that! You just admitted one of the Freedom Fighters has been bothering you. Which one?"

"Honestly, Toph..." Not looking at her because then he'd see how happy she was because she'd been with The Duke and he really couldn't take that at the moment. "It's nothing important."

And with that, he got up with the intention of finding a hole and crawling into it. The young monk had lost too much not to have taken into account the many ways he could lose her.

The Air Nomad wasn't trying to be morbid, but part of his job as Avatar was learning to let go and he had made peace with the fact he would lose all his friends - his family, really - eventually. But of all the ways he envisioned parting with Toph, none involved another man. They would grow old traveling the world together. They would go down fighting, saving a town, saving lives. Someone like The Duke, swooping in to try and sweep Toph off her dirty, bare feet never even crossed Aang's mind.

He paused, the komodo rhino in the pit of his stomach grew cold and angry. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to take Toph far away from the person that threatened their friendship, that threatened _them_. Except, there was no them. Not in the way he never knew he wanted until a few hours ago.

Now he understood why since the moment they arrived, the young Freedom Fighter had been monopolizing all of Toph's time. At the festival, The Duke took her to the best food stands, showed her the different games, and tried to get her to go on a few of the rides.

Aang hadn't given it much thought aside from not being too happy about it. _He_ wanted to be the one to eat with Toph and play the fun games, but he knew not to ask her to get on any of the rides because she couldn't see while on them. As nice a guy as The Duke was, he didn't know Toph like Aang did. And that's what bothered him the most, how could he not have seen it before!?

"You done moping around? It's like you're channeling Sparky or something."

"I want to be alone right now, Toph."

"And I want another one of those fluffy cakes but the festival packed up and left already, so..." she grinned up at him. "We don't always get what we want, Twinkles."

Didn't he know it. The words hurt to hear, but he let them sink in. He'd been careless, taking her for granted, expecting her to stay with him like she had no other choice. But a girl like Toph would always have options. Not because she was beautiful and from a noble family. Not because she was truly the Greatest Earthbender in the World, but because she was smart and brave and a born fighter. She was loyal to a fault and the most stubborn person he knew. _Spirits_, if the choice wasn't offered, she'd find a way to take it anyway. That's the kind of person she was.

"Well, since you're not talking, you can sit and listen to me."

Without looking up at her, he sat down once more. This time on the ground, his back against the tree trunk. He had an idea what the conversation was going to be about, but they were friends before anything else and he would listen if she needed him to.

"Duke asked me to stay." She waited for his reaction, but there was none. "Here. In the forest. With him and the other Freedom Fighters," she added, sitting across from him on the other side of the fire.

The stars were bright up in the sky and he counted thirty of them before he felt he was able to speak. With a sigh, Aang finally looked at her. She was only a few steps away, but she'd never been farther.

"Yeah, I know," he replied, his breath catching as he watched the way the flames danced across her sightless eyes.

"You _know_?"

"He asked me not to go with you guys." Aang cleared his throat and looked away. "Said he wanted to talk to you alone."

Scowling, Toph hit the ground with the bottom of her foot, instantly sending the Avatar yelping up into the air.

"Thanks for the warning!"

He would have fallen with a painful thud, but his instincts kicked in. A gust of wind materialized to soften his landing.

Sitting back on her heels, the earthbender waited for him to explain. But he only stood there, watching her, not knowing what to say. Brows furrowed, she pulled her knees up to her chest, her expression filled with something like disappointment.

They sat in a heavy, awkward silence. He couldn't recall that ever happening before. As he rubbed the back of his bald head, Aang's gaze returned to Toph. They never had a problem striking up a conversation. Things like that were usually easy for them.

Not liking the strange distance he felt growing between them, he sought to end it. So, he walked around the fire to her side. When he sat down, she turned her face up to his. Aang spoke first.

"Did he tell you that he liked-?"

"Yep."

Her expression didn't change from the neutral mask she wore. Closing his eyes, he used his seismic sense to get a better read on her, but she gave nothing away.

"And what did you say to him?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. Unconsciously, he held his breath as he waited for her answer.

Resting the side of her head against her knees, she drew random patterns on the ground between them with the tip of her finger.

"I wasn't mean, if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not," he admitting, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

Matching knots formed in their stomachs.

"I told him I wasn't done traveling the world." And just like that, Aang could breathe again. "I'm not tired of it yet," she added, grabbing a handful of dirt.

To her surprise, he shuffled closer. His knee bumped the outside of her thigh and even in the dim firelight he could see the color that stained her cheeks when it happened.

"You think you will? Ever get tired of it, I mean."

So many thoughts entered his mind, a jumbled mess of possibilities and scenarios. He chided himself for not having realized sooner and wondered if she could possibly...? It _was_ a possibility, right?

"Dunno," she answered honestly, shrugging one shoulder and letting the dirt fall to the ground. "All I know is that right now I'm not ready to stay in _one _place."

Sweet relief coursed through him. Aang couldn't help himself, he wrapped an arm around Toph, and tugged her close. It was obvious she wasn't expecting that by the grunting protest that escaped her, but she didn't pull away.

"Well, until you are, we can keep travelling together," he suggested and offered her his most sincere smile.

"Why not?" she grinned, resting her head on his shoulder. "Guess that wouldn't be so bad."

Aang had to agree, it wouldn't be bad at all.

* * *

_AN: I'm kinda sad that Taang Week's over, but it was fun coming up with fic for all the different themes. Hope you all enjoyed it, too! __=D_


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